Brielle
Rachel's face paled as the words echoed between us, the hush falling afterwards a stark reminder of what was at stake, my life and that of my unborn child.
"I can't stay here anymore. I can't let them find or take my baby away from me Rachel." I cried softly, remembering that the walls were super thin and if the wrong person should hear, then it was over.
Rachel turned away towards the door and locked it twice, before rushing back to me with unused tears in her eyes.
"Then we leave tonight."
My eyes widened in shock. "But Rachel, I thought you said it wasn't safe to leave this week."
She grabbed my hands, her small ones fitting in mine. "But it would be suicidal to remain here when you are already with child. The Alpha's seed is not like others. One would be able to detect the baby in few days after it has formed."
My throat dried up as I made up my mind. I couldn't let my child be doomed to this fate with those monsters as it's parents. I held my belly protectively.
"Let's go."
Rachel gave a reassuring smile and proceeded to tell me the plan.
There was a trap door in the kitchen which led into the forest.
There was a path in the forest that led to her grandmother's cabin, where I would hide out for a few days before leaving the pack.
The cabin was hidden, so I wouldn't be found by the king's guards. It was the best she could come up with on such short notice, but anything was better than being a sitting duck and waiting for my fate.
The King had a dinner outside the pack tonight, so no one would be in the kitchen after ten since no dinner would be prepared. All we had to do was to sneak out of the room and to the kitchen.
We only had to deceive the guards and that was what the uniform I was putting on was far.
"Remember, Brielle, once you get out of the trap door, keep running west."
I nodded, trying to keep my nerves at bay. "But you would be there to direct me through the forest right?"
Rachel smiled, helping me with the maid hat. "Of course. We are doing this together."
I pulled her into a long hug, "thank you so much Rachel. I don't know what I've done to deserve someone who cares for me like you do."
She returned the hug. "My pleasure, now let's go before the guards in front of your room wake up."
I took a deep breath and nodded, and placed my hand on the door, but the turn of the door handle and a loud knock stopped me in my steps, causing my blood to turn cold.
"Runt girl!" The familiar sickening voice of Layla seeped through the door and I began to panic. She never comes to my room. Why now?
Rachel and I shared a panicked look as she continued knocking, and Rachel immediately pushed me to the direction of my bed.
"Pretend you are sleeping, I will get rid of her."
Willing my legs to move, I jumped onto my bed, covering my whole body with my blankets and tried to silence my racing heart as Rachel opened the door and the familiar sound of Layla's shoes filled the air.
"Why did you take so long to open the door, and where are the guards, slave?"
Her voice stabbed the little confidence I had in our plan, and I swallowed shakily, hoping she wouldn't sense something was up.
"The guards went for their dinner break, ma'am."
Layla's stepped further into the room, her footsteps echoing through my brain. "Both of them? At the same time?"
I held my breath as she stepped closer towards the bed and I gripped the bedspread tight, hoping she wouldn't pull it and expose my plan.
"Yes ma'am. They do it sometimes."
"Hmm." Layla mused, coming closer to my bed. "You didn't answer my first question, Slave. Why did you take so long to answer the door?"
By this time my heart was in my throat as she lingered over my head space, and I squeezed my eyes shut, praying she didn't pull the covers.
The heat of her body was felt through the covers, and I held my breath, hoping Rachel could help me.
"I thought it was another maid, ma'am."
That seemed to stop Layla as her footsteps echoed away from the bed and I swallowed harshly, thanking my stars that I lived to see another minute as I dreaded what she may have done if she found out.
Silence reigned as her footsteps filled the room,
"I'll be keeping an eye on you." She snarled, then the door opened and closed, followed by the sigh from Rachel which prompted me to pull away the covers.
"Goddess I am terrified of that woman." She let out, and gave me a hopeful smile. "But this the last time we would have to deal with her."
I returned the smile, although weakly. "Hopefully. But what happened to the guards?"
She smirked and grabbed my hand. "Do you want to continue asking questions? Or do you want to give the little one a better future?"
Replacing my form on the bed with pillows and securing my hat, we snuck out of the room with our omega senses activated.
I didn't want us to get caught, so I listened for everything that could lead to that.
We tiptoed towards the kitchen, which was empty like Rachel mentioned, and she instantly opened the store room where the hatch door was.
"This is it. Do not forget, west."
I nodded, and she pulled open the trap door that led to my escape.
I took in a deep breath, tears filling my eyes as I thought of the pain Zadyre put me through and it was almost impossible to hate him. I deserve better.
But my thoughts were dashed by the sound of the alarm. I've only heard it once, and that was when a slave tried to escape.
"Shit." Rachel muttered.
Rachel's eyes widened with fear as she frantically scanned our surroundings. "We have to move, Brielle! Now!"
My heart pounded in her chest as she fought to control my rising panic. With my trembling hands, I clutched onto Rachel's arm, desperately. "What do we do, Rachel? We can't let them catch us!"
Rachel's mind raced, searching for a solution amidst the escalating crisis. "We stick to the plan, but we have to move faster. Follow me closely, and don't make a sound."
Then she held my hand tightly, pulling me down with her and we raced down the dusty stairs in the dark, the approaching footsteps echoing on the kitchen floor and their loud voices following after.
"Don't let them escape, you idiots!" Layla screamed, and the steps quickened.
"Faster Brielle. We are almost there."
I increased my speed, ignoring the pain in my muscles and trying to forget the guards racing behind us.
The exit loomed before us, and I panted hard as we pushed ourselves further.
My heart pounded harder as we got closer, but just as we crossed the door, a sudden flood of light blinded us.
No no no!
This cannot be happening!
"Stop right there!" a gruff voice commanded, and the sound of wolves howling in the night followed immediately after. "Any sudden act, and you would be torn apart."
Tears welled up in my eyes as the approached but Rachel softly tapped my hand.
"Brielle, here's what you would do. When I turn, run."
My head snapped to hers I almost had a whiplash. "What? What are you planning? I can't let you!"
She let out a small chuckle. "I want my god child to live, Brielle. Tell my angel Aunty Rachel loved them. Please Brielle."
"Don't move!" They roared, but through my sobs, I could only see Rachel's sad smile.
"Good bye, Brielle."
She pulled away, heading for the guards, her head up high. She was sacrificing herself for me.
"No Rachel!"
"Go now!" She roared, and in an instance, she turned into a honey brown wolf, and leaped in the air, slashing a guard's throat, giving me the chance to escape.
I ran to the woods, taking advantage of Rachel's distraction, but as I turned, an image I will never forget burned in my memory.
Rachel being attacked by a number of wolves, and her eyes losing life as they bit her all over.
Rachel was dead because of me.
A loud growl echoed behind me and I put aside my hurt heart and fastened my pace.
My head became light, it was physically trying for me to push as all I could think about was Rachel being killed.
"Stop right there!" The wolves behind me growled.
Rachel wouldn't die for nothing. Rachel wouldn't die for-
My legs gave way and I fell into a plant covered ditch, landing roughly on my ankle and hitting my head.
Above, the wolves roared and ran, searching for me.
My vision blurred, and I slowly slipped out of consciousness.
*I'm sorry, Rachel. It was all for nothing.*